Facsimile's doom was clearly predicted as early as 15 years ago when our colleagues fantasized about the all-in-one entertainment and communication device. And with the recent announcement by TV manufacturers regarding their agreements with cable companies, yet another device will soon become extinct. And that too was a breakthrough technology at its introduction. Set-top boxes, which enabled two-way communication between the TV set and the cable company, could become a thing of the past. With the better-equipped TV sets, you can plug the connection cable directly into the TV and get HD programming, DVR, video on demand, interactive ads, a programming guide, games, a chat function, and much more, all in one place.